Volunteers showed up en masse at 8 a.m. to the Green Acres Baptist Church Worship Center for the East Texas “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” pep rally.
While the Robert E. Lee High School band played inside the sanctuary, the school’s drill team and cheerleaders thanked attendees as they entered the worship center.
The pep rally provided volunteers information to build community support and awareness.
The build is set to start on Feb. 25 when host Ty Pennington and design team knock on the family’s door.
The identity of the family in need is a mystery until that day.
Green Acres Pastor David O. Dykes greeted everyone, said a prayer and then introduced the builder.
Builder Gary Bayless thanked God for the opportunity to help the family in need and sponsors Texas Bank and Trust and All Seasons Window & Door, Inc.
Bayless introduced Conrad Ricketts, the executive producer of this East Texas episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
“When a community comes together, our capability to help others makes the impossible, possible,” Ricketts said.
“On TV you hear it takes a week to build the house. In reality we have 106 hours to build the house,” Ricketts said. “The framing has to be done in 14 hours.”
Ricketts showed a time-lapse video montage of houses throughout the years, 178 in total for families in need.
“We still are in need of skilled volunteers,” Ricketts said. “Especially plumbers and drywallers.”
Work goes on around the clock. Volunteers are encouraged to show up for a night shift.
Ricketts said the Web site, www.tylerextrememakeover.com, shows any construction or design needs the work site has and updates it regularly.
The pep rally closed with a performance by local country music star, Neal McCoy.
In addition to building homes, the team reaches out to the community by having canned- food and blood drives.
Ricketts said they have collected 95 tons of canned goods in Buffalo, N.Y. and 101 tons in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
“The East Texas Food Bank has distributed drop locations at Brookshire and Super 1 Food stores throughout east Texas,” Ricketts said.
Drops locations are available from Feb. 27 through March 6.
Carter BloodCare is sponsoring the blood drive.
Ricketts said their donation record currently stands at 800 units of blood.
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